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• ginger
  ginger

  noun

  a reedlike plant, Zingiber officinale, native to South Asia but now cultivated in many tropical countries, having a pungent, spicy rhizome used in cooking and medicine.
• Ginger
  Ginger

  noun

  a female given name, form of Virginia or Regina.

ginger

¹ American  

[jin-jer] / ˈdʒɪn dʒər /

noun

1. a reedlike plant, Zingiber officinale, native to South Asia but now cultivated in many tropical countries, having a pungent, spicy rhizome used in cooking and medicine.

2. any of various plants related to or similar to Zingiber officinale.

3. the rhizome of Zingiber officinale, ground, chopped, etc., and used as a flavoring.

4. Informal. piquancy; animation.

   There was plenty of ginger in their performance of the dance.

5. a yellowish or reddish brown.

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verb (used with object)

1. to treat or flavor with ginger, the spicy rhizome of the Zingiber officinale plant.

2. Informal. to impart piquancy or spirit to; enliven (usually followed byup ).

   to ginger up a talk with a few jokes.

adjective

1. flavored or made with ginger, the spicy rhizome of the Zingiber officinale plant.

Ginger ² American  

[jin-jer] / ˈdʒɪn dʒər /

noun

1. a female given name, form of Virginia or Regina.

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ginger British  

/ ˈdʒɪndʒə /

noun

1. any of several zingiberaceous plants of the genus Zingiber, esp Z. officinale of the East Indies, cultivated throughout the tropics for its spicy hot-tasting underground stem See also galangal Compare wild ginger

2. the underground stem of this plant, which is used fresh or powdered as a flavouring or crystallized as a sweetmeat

3. any of certain related plants

4. 1. a reddish-brown or yellowish-brown colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      ginger hair

5. informal liveliness; vigour

6. informal a person with ginger hair

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verb

1. (tr) to add the spice ginger to (a dish)

Etymology

Origin of ginger

First recorded before 1000; Middle English ginger, gingivere from Old French gingivre, from Latin gingiber, for zingiberi from Greek zingíberis; replacing Old English gingiber from Latin, as above

Explanation

Ginger is a plant with a thick root that's used to spice food. You can make homemade ginger ale using grated ginger. Ginger is an important spice all over the world, appearing in things like ginger beer, ginger bread, many Indian dishes, Chinese food, and ginger tea. Since ginger is native to South Asia, it's most commonly found in countries on that continent. Many people use ginger as a home remedy or medicine, as well as a food. In Britain, and increasingly in the US, it's common to describe red hair as ginger.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ginger Ginger

"How did the spiders choose an invasive species and ginger exactly?"

From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026

Some nights I lean toward spice, blooming coriander, cumin, turmeric and red pepper flakes alongside frozen ginger and garlic cubes.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026

But I gamely soldiered back into the sunlight and onto the pathways that line the National Mall, each ginger step kicking up dust.

From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026

A special “Chef’s Table” meal featured pumpkin and ginger soup, a duo of rock lobster and beef tenderloin, and a carrot panna cotta dessert, Moraes posted.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026

He let me use his mortar and pestle to ground up the cumin, coriander, and ginger.

From "The Night Diary" by Veera Hiranandani

Ginger Biscuit relocated to Woburn Safari Park, in Bedfordshire, on Tuesday, from Longleat in Wiltshire, as part of an international conservation programme.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

The tall stems of daisies bend above the delicate petals of peonies on a Raspberry Yogurt Basil Cake; a single nasturtium blossom tops an Earl Grey Butterfly Pea Ginger Mini Cake.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

Within days, Ginger was told she needed an ultrasound.

From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026

“If you block your data, you only see the list price,” says Ginger Zhe Jin, an economist at the University of Maryland who studies personalized pricing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026

I held the back door open for Ginger, and she hopped in.

From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg